African leaders neglect world’s largest carbon capture opportunity

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African nations hold the potential to capture over 132 billion tonnes of carbon but struggle to be prioritized in the global climate agenda, which is currently focused on energy transition and carbon trading at the COP29 climate conference in Baku.

While the energy sector attracts nearly $2 trillion annually to offset emissions, African agricultural practices have the capacity to offset emissions by over 20 times the global oil and gas output – if adequately supported.

FarmBizAfrica CEO Jethro Tieman expressed frustration with global leaders’ inaction on soil carbon, stating, “They’re focused on stopping oil, which hasn’t shown results, while ignoring soil carbon, which could avert the land degradation fueling our climate crisis.”

Africa’s soil, degraded by unsustainable agricultural practices, now averages a 1-2% carbon content, far below the carbon-rich levels of 5-8% needed to curb land desertification and drought.

Simple solutions, such as using farm waste to produce biochar, could rapidly increase soil carbon, enhancing crop yields and water retention while capturing billions of tonnes of carbon annually.

Yet, the global climate agenda remains indifferent to Africa’s potential, stifling efforts to combat a worsening land crisis with proven, accessible methods.

 

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